Chance Meeting
by JenRiley16
Summary: For weeks, the convenience store has run out of popsicles before Noya can get there. He finally finds out why. One-Shot, for now.


"So you're the one who's been taking the soda popsicles."

Reiko stared at the boy in front of her, the one who always came into the shop right as she was leaving. Before, the only things she noticed about him were the streak of blond in his hair and that they were the same height.

Now, he was glaring, arms folded, and eyeing the popsicle that hung on the edge of her lips.

"Sorry," she said, licking a drip that had rolled down to her fingers.

"That's my favorite kind," he insisted.

Shrugging, Reiko tried to move around him; he wouldn't budge. "Look, I'm really sorry, but these are my favorite too. Beat me here tomorrow and you'll get it before I do."

His cheeks flamed, but not from embarrassment. "That's not fair!" he exclaimed. "I have volleyball club after school every day!"

"That's not my problem," she told the boy, maneuvering around him.

He caught her wrist just as she was leaving the store and he followed her out. "Please," he begged, "can't we make some kind of deal? Like, maybe we could switch off? You get it today, I get it tomorrow?"

Reiko shook her head, taking a bit of the popsicle while yanking out of his grasp. "It's not my fault you can't get to it. I bought it fair and square."

His eyes narrowed. "That sounds like a challenge."

"It's not that big of a deal. Just skip practice and—"

"I can't do that."

Reiko's eyes rolled. "Whatever. Can you leave me alone now? My popsicle's melting."

"W-What's your name?" he shouted after her, matching her pace. Reiko sighed heavily, but he wasn't easily deterred. "You're...not in junior high, are you?"

"No!" she scowled at him, chomping on another bit of popsicle; he whined under his breath. "I may be short, but I'm a second-year at Karasuno high school. Ueda Reiko."

The boy grinned, and Reiko decided—despite their weird first meeting—that he was cute. "Nishinoya Yū. I'm a second-year at Karasuno too."

Reiko's lips parted, then curved into a soft smile. "Oh... You're the guardian deity."

Nishinoya flushed and rubbed the back of his neck, stammering dumbly. "Where'd you hear that?" he asked when the pink in his cheeks began to fade.

"You're pretty talked about. I didn't recognize you before, but you did say you were in volleyball club." she paused, looking ahead of them; they were coming up on her house. "I heard what happened with the vice principal." Nishinoya's head tilted downward. "I don't think you deserved a suspension."

Nishinoya didn't say anything, just kept his head bowed to cover his flaming skin. "U-Ueda-san—"

"Just Reiko is fine."

He blushed again and Reiko wondered how often it was that he actually talked to girls. "Rei...Rei-san..." he was nearly maroon; "could we exchange email addresses?"

"Yeah, sure," she said, handing over her phone and taking his, "and, please, if you're going to shorten my name, then just use the shortened version. It sounds stiff otherwise."

Nishinoya nodded, accepting his phone back and grinning. "Rei… Does that mean you'll call me—"

"Yū," Reiko finished, not noticing the boy stop walking for a second before starting after her again. "Would it be okay if I stopped by a practice or a game sometime? I used to play volleyball in junior high."

Nishinoya lit up. "Really? What position?"

"I was a setter," she said.

Absolutely beaming, Nishinoya seemed to vibrate with excitement. "We have two setters in our club. They're both really good. Everybody's really good. I don't think they'd mind if you showed up."

Reiko smiled. "Okay. Thanks for walking me home, and...sorry about the popsicle."

"N-No, it's fine!"

Watching him stare at his feet and clench his hands, Reiko cleared her throat, pushing open the gate to her house. "Well... I guess I'll see you," she said, waiting for him to stop her.

"Yeah... See you..."

But he still wasn't moving, and so Reiko took a half-step forward; his head snapped up. "I'm in class 2-2, by the way," she told him. "You'll have to let me know when the games are so I can come."

Nishinoya's brows furrowed for a second, and then he went pink again and nodded. "O-Okay!"

Reiko stepped inside and closed the door behind her, trying not to smile and failing.

* * *

note1. i know she sounds a little rude at the start, but imagine some stranger asking you about popsicles.

note2. i wrote this a while ago, but i might maybe possibly one day add more.


End file.
